CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will shortly resubmit a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Centre for the proposed Hosur airport, seeking airspace clearance after addressing the technical objections raised by the Ministry of Defence, TIDCO managing director Sandeep Nanduri has said.
In an interview to DT Next, Nanduri said the Centre had declined the earlier proposal on airspace grounds but maintained that a viable solution exists. "We will soon submit our technical reply to the Centre on the proposed airport in Hosur.
The issue flagged is airspace clearance. Our position is that airspace clearance can be issued for Hosur without disrupting the airspace earmarked for HAL, after consultations with the State government.
We will resubmit the DPR shortly," he said, adding that the final call would rest with the Centre.
The Ministry of Defence, which controls the airspace in the region through Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), recently reiterated its refusal, stating that HAL required the airspace.
The proposed international airport at Hosur, planned at Shoolagiri taluk between Berigai and Bagalur, is designed for a passenger capacity of 30 million and is expected to span nearly 2,300 acres.
Nanduri also outlined progress on aviation infrastructure in southern Tamil Nadu.
The long-unused Chettinad airstrip near Karaikudi will be redeveloped as the Chettinadu Aeronadu Aviation Hub, focusing on flying training organisations (FTOs), drone manufacturing and drone operations. "Chettinadu Aeronadu is meant for FTOs, drone manufacturing and related activities," he said.
The Kovilpatti airstrip, by contrast, will cater exclusively to FTOs. "We are developing it through the PPP mode. The bidder will invest and develop the facility," he said.
The proposed FTO will operate from an unused airstrip about 6 km from Kovilpatti town in Thoothukudi, with an asphalt runway of around 1.05 to 1.2 km length and 15 metres width, spread over nearly 63 hectares across Nalatinputhur and Thonugal villages.
On the urban development front, Nanduri said the FinTech City in Nandambakkam, Chennai, is ready for inauguration. "The FinTech City and FinTech Tower construction works are over. Within a week, 100% of the work will be completed.
We are awaiting the CM’s date for inauguration," he said. The FinTech Tower, built at a cost of Rs 254 crore, has a built-up area of about 5.6 lakh sq ft and includes an auditorium with a seating capacity of 250.
He said the Aerohub at the SIPCOT aerospace park in Sriperumbudur is nearing completion.
The avionics complex will house around 28 companies and forms part of the 250-acre Sriperumbudur Aerospace and Defence Industrial Park.
TIDCO has also sent proposals to the State government for land acquisition for Global City and Knowledge City projects. For Global City, about 1,945 acres across six villages in Maduranthakam taluk have been identified.
The Knowledge City, planned in Tiruvallur district, will be developed in phases, beginning with academic and support infrastructure across 870 acres.
A key feature will be a one-lakh-sq-ft Knowledge Tower designed to enable foreign universities to commence operations swiftly, he said.